Two years after summary dismissal of judges by the president, harassment, prosecutions and denial of rights of judges continue
"Since President Kais Saied dissolved the High Judicial Council and dismissed judges based on vague accusations two years ago, the harassment of judges and the unlawful interference in their work has continued in a bid to stifle dissent and make accountability unattainable," said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Hammadi Rahmani, a dismissed judge, told Amnesty International:"To this day, two years after I and my colleagues were dismissed in that unlawful way, we have yet to receive an official justified decision to inform us of the reasons behind our dismissal.
Since President Kais Saied's power grab on 25 July 2021, Tunisia has witnessed a significant rollback of the human rights progress following the 2011 Revolution, including the dismantling of many existing. The new constitution undermines institutional guarantees for human rights and fails to provide the necessary safeguards for the judiciary to function with full independence and impartiality.
In February 2023, the General Prosecutor of the Tunis Court of Appeal moved the case against Hmedi from the Monastir Tribunal to the El Kef Tribunal of First Instance, despite an ongoing appeal made by his lawyers against the decision to lift his immunity. Anas Hmedi was summoned to appear by an investigating judge on 21 August 2023, but his hearing has been postponed several times. In parallel, separate disciplinary procedures have also been opened against him by the THJC.